Kolbińska Wiktoria

Byszewska, Helena Byszewska-Choynowska, Anna Gostkiewicz, Jadwiga Szulińska, Maria Kolbińska, Wiktoria In 1942, Krystyna Lew escaped from the Warsaw ghetto together with her eight-year-old daughter, Beata, her son, Marek, and her sister, Helena Pocimak. Armed with “Aryan” papers, which they had obtained from a Polish acquaintance, the fugitives appealed for help to Helena Byszewska, her sisters Jadwiga Gostkiewicz and Maria Szulińska, and Wiktoria Kolbińska. Before the war, the four had maintained a business relationship with the Lew family, which in the course of time had evolved into sincere friendship. When they learned of the distress of their Jewish friends, the women immediately undertook to help them. Helena took Marek into her apartment, and subsequently found refuge for Krystyna and her daughter, as well as a hideout elsewhere for Helena Pocimak. The women set up a joint fund, from which 150 złotys were allocated monthly to Krystyna and Helena Byszewska. In due course, the janitor’s daughter began to suspect that Beata was Jewish, and fearing denunciation Helena decided to transfer her to a convent. Helena’s daughter, Anna, taught Beate the rudiments of the Catholic faith, and the child was sent to a convent, where she remained until the end of the war. Helena also tried to save Krystyna’s husband, who had escaped from Treblinka together with a Jewish doctor by the name of Lipiński, but to no avail. Jadwiga, Maria and Wiktoria were of constant assistance to Helena and Anna, and in times of danger hid the fugitives in their homes. They were motivated solely by humanitarian considerations and sincere affection, which withstood the vicissitudes of the time. After the war, Krystyna immigrated to Israel together with her children and sister. For many years thereafter she corresponded with Helena Byszewska, to whom she owed her life. On November 6, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Helena Byszewska, Anna Byszewska-Choynowska, Jadwiga Gostkiewicz, Maria Szulińska and Wiktoria Kolbińska as Righteous Among the Nations. Files 3506